Churchill Downs Suspends Horseracing

This week Churchill Downs Incorporated has announced that it is suspended horseracing at its iconic Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville due to concerns related to the safety of horses.

There have been a number of racing injuries at the track over the past month, with 12 horses having to be euthanized due to injury. The suspension will take effect from June 7th through at least July 3rd. The Spring Meet race will be resumed on June 10th, albeit at the Ellis Park racetrack.

An investigation by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has been unable to find a reason for the increase in injuries. Despite this, Churchill Downs is continuing the search as to the cause and how they can fix it.

Regarding the decision, Churchill Downs International CEO Bill Carstanjen said, "The team at Churchill Downs takes great pride in our commitment to safety and strives to set the highest standard in racing, consistently going above and beyond the regulations and policies that are required.

"What has happened at our track is deeply upsetting and absolutely unacceptable. Despite our best efforts to identify a cause for the recent horse injuries, and though no issues have been linked to our racing surfaces or environment at Churchill Downs.

"We need to take more time to conduct a top-to-bottom review of all of the details and circumstances so that we can further strengthen our surface, safety and integrity protocols.

"By relocating the remainder of the meet to Ellis Park, we are able to maintain this industry ecosystem with only minor disruption."

About the author

Dustin Jermalowicz // News Editor
Dustin Jermalowicz
Dustin has a long-standing passion for gambling. He has been writing professionally on the subject and breaking industry news for Casino Listings since 2011. His favorite casino games include Blackjack, Poker, and Hi/Lo. A proud native of Detroit, Dustin currently lives in Michigan.
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usbarbadosslim93
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5 June 2023 - 4:01pm
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I was just down in Kentucky during the Kentucky Derby weekend and the horse deaths are a major concern down there. I hope they figure it out.

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